The Palace Theatre,
Main Street, Gorbals, Glasgow

Above - The Palace Theatre and the original frontage
of the Citizens' Theatre which was next door

As
part of the John Morrison (of Morrison & Mason, builders) development
of tenements and shops in Main Street in the thriving Gorbals the Grand
National Halls of the Good Templars - which had been used for weddings,
functions, political meetings and concerts - were demolished and rebuilt
in 1904 as the Palace Theatre
for the impresario Richard Waldon who also operated the Royal
Princess's Theatre next door.

Right - The Interior of the Palace Theatre, Glasgow by Victor Glasstone
- Courtesy Graeme Smith

It shared the classical façade of the (smaller) Royal
Princess's and could hold around 2000. The architect was Bertie
Crewe, who also designed the Pavilion Theatre,
Renfield Street the same year, and he used a glorious Indian style
reflecting Britain's Empire, including large elephant figures. It had
two tiers - the grand circle having marble balustrades.

The Era reported on its opening in March 1904:- 'The decorations are on a sumptuous scale. The design is pure Indian,
an outstanding feature being the range of boxes supported by the beautiful
Nuatch girls and papier mache elephant heads. Above them are gorgeous
Hindu pagodas from which springs the elaborate domed and painted ceiling.
The proscenium arch is executed in alabaster. Ivory, gold and red is
the scheme of decoration with draperies, carpets and upholstery of peacock
blue.' The Era March 1904.

An early Palace programme cover can be seen at the excellent Glasgow
Story Website here.

Above - A Painting depicting the Auditorium and Stage of the Palace Theatre, Glasgow - Courtesy George Richmond, February 2018, who says 'This is the Palace Theatre, Gorbals Glasgow, in 1904, designed in the Indian style. The colour scheme of the auditorium was given in the ERA as being ivory gold and red with the curtains, upholstery, and carpets in blue.' Click for an Index to all of George Richmond's Paintings on this site.

Its variety programme included Neil Kenyon,
Marie Kendall, Wal Langtry, Ella Retford and Florrie Forde. During the
Great War 1914-18 cine-variety was introduced and talkies took over
in the 1930s. When television took over much of Britain's live entertainment
it changed to being a bingo house in the 1970s and was demolished after
a fire made it unsafe.

Left - The Interior of the Palace Theatre, Glasgow by Victor Glasstone
- Courtesy Graeme Smith

Fortunately the theatre next door, in its new name of the Citizens,
took a number of the elephants into its foyer and a complete box adorned
by elephant is held by the Victoria
& Alberts Museum in London.

The above text was written by Graeme
Smith and kindly sent in for inclusion on the site in 2009, and
is from his book 'THE THEATRE ROYAL: Entertaining a Nation', Details
here.